Muay thai and MMA are the few very popular martial arts out there that do not have any form of belt ranking.
In kickboxing, Duke Roufus and Duane Ludwig have developed belt ranking systems for their schools according to their kickboxing curriculum.
Belts and rankings are very useful for motivating students to continue training and learning and providing a tangible goal to work toward.
They are also useful for instantly identifying a martial artists experience level by the color of the belt they wear.
But what are the different Taekwondo belts in order of rank and how long does it take to earn a black belt?
Below is the complete ranking system for Taekwondo by belt level in order from beginner to Black belt.
The ranking systems differ according to the Taekwondo organisation a particular school is affiliated with.
Taekwondo at a Glance
Taekwondo is a hugely popular martial art that can be found all over the world.
Taekwondo literally trasnlates to English to mean ‘foot fist way’.
The modern stlye of Taekwondo known around the world today has its origin in the post WWII era of the mid 1940s. This was after Japanese occupation of Korea ended and Korean martial artisits could openly practice and traing again.
Taekwondo is characterised by the many kicking techniques within the Taekwondo system.
Flexibility and agility are emphasized with focus on head height kick, jumping spinning kick, and fast kick teaching a technique with kicks and striking above waist height.
Different Schools Use Different Belt Orders
There are differences in the Taekwondo belt order depending on the school or Taekwondo Organization the school is affiliated with.
Overall there are 3 different Organizations recognized in Taekwondo each with a different belt system.
- ITF – International Taekowndo Federation
- WT – World Taekwondo
- ATA – American Taekwondo Association
In Taekwondo the Korean word ‘geup’ also pronounced as ‘keup’ is the term used for each grade, rank or color belt.
The ITF Belt System
The International Taekwon-Do Federation or ITF is an international taekwondo organization founded on March 22, 1966, by General Choi Hong Hi in Seoul, South Korea.
The ITF was founded to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of Taekwon-Do.
The ITF ranking system consists of six solid colour belts; white, yellow, green, blue, red, and black.
- White Belt (10th Geup): White has a meaning of blankness, it manifests the humbleness and lack of knowledge of a beginner.
- Yellow stripe (9th Geup): A middle phase between a total beginner and yellow belt.
- Yellow Belt (8th Geup): The metaphor of yellow is the seed planted.
- Green stripe (7th Geup): Middle phase between yellow and green
- Green Belt (6th Geup): The seed now is starting to grow a plant and the practitioner is growing slowly but surely
- Blue stripe (5th Geup): Middle phase between the green belt and the blue belt.
- Blue Belt (4th Geup): Signifies the sky as the plant is aspiring to go high towards the sky without limits
- Red Stripe (3rd Geup): Middle Phase between blue belt and red belt
- Red Belt (2nd Geup): Red is a sign of blood, this is a warning to the student that they are aquiring a lethal weapon, self-control should be very present.
- Black Stripe (1st Geup): Middle phase between red belt and black belt
- Black belt: The student is rewarded the black belt once they pass the 1st Geup.
World Taekwondo Belt System Order
The World Taekwando Federation (WTF) is the international organization that governs Olympic Taekwondo.
The WTF also oversees Taekwondo competitions around the world.
The WTf was founded in 1973 at Kukkiwon in Seoul.
WTF Taekwondo is practiced in n188 countries across the world. WTF Taekwondo is the onley taekwondo sport santioned bu the IOC (Internaitonal Olympic Committee).
Taekwondo became an official medal asport at the Syndey 2000 Olmypics.
Taekwondo color belt systems and order differ by school. The WTF style uses the taekwondo belt order below:
| Rank | Belt Color | Minimum Term | Total Training Time |
| 10th Kup | None/White | 2 months | none |
| 9th Kup | White/White with stripe | 2 months | 2 months |
| 8th Kup | Yellow | 2 months | 4 months |
| 7th Kup | Orange/Yellow with stripe | 2 months | 6 months |
| 6th Kup | Green | 2 months | 8 months |
| 5th Kup | Blue/Green with stripe | 2 months | 10 months |
| 4th Kup | Purple/Blue | 2 months | 1 year |
| 3rd Kup | Brown/Blue with stripe | 2 months | 14 months |
| 2nd Kup | Red | 4 months | 16 months |
| 1st Kup | Red with stripe | 4 months | 20 months |
| 1st Degree | Cho Dan | 1 year | 2 years |
| 2nd Degree | Ee Dan | 2 years | 3 years |
| 3rd Degree | Sam Dan | 3 years | 5 years |
| 4th Degree | Sa Dan | 4 years | 8 years |
| 5th Degree | O Dan | 5 years | 12 years |
| 6th Degree | Yook Dan | 6 years | 17 years |
| 7th Degree | Chil Dan | 7 years | 23 years |
| 8th Degree | Pul Dan | 8 years | 30 years |
| 9th Degree | Ku Dan | 9 years | 38 years |
American Taekwondo Association Belt Order
Songahm Taekwondo is the style practiced at ATA affiliated schools.
Songahm means “Pine Tree and Rock.”
According to the organization, the term Songahm itself represents “Evergreen strength the year round, long life and a symbol of unchanging human loyalty” as represented by the pine tree and the rock.
Soon Ho Lee gave the name, Songahm, and its meaning to his brother, Haeng Ung Lee years before H.U. Lee founded the ATA.
In the ATA, the student is compared to a growing pine tree, from a seed (white belt) to a massive tree (black belt).
Below are the ATA Taekwondo belts in order.
- White Belt
- Orange Belt
- Yellow Belt
- Camouflage Belt
- Green Belt
- Purple Belt
- Blue Belt
- Brown Belt
- Red Belt
- Black Belt
White Belt
“Pure and without the knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo. As with the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots.”
The student has no knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo and begins with a clean (pure) slate.
Purity is often signified by the color white.
Orange Belt
“The sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning’s dawn, only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather than the immense power.”
The beginner student sees the beauty of the art of Taekwondo but has not yet experienced the power of the technique.
Orange is found among the many colors of the sunrise.
Yellow Belt
“The seed is beginning to see the sunlight.”
The student begins to understand the basics of Taekwondo.
The sun appears to be yellow.
Camouflage (Camo) Belt
“The sapling is hidden amongst the taller pines and must now fight its way upward.”
The student begins to realize his/her place in the world’s largest martial art. The student must now begin to spar in order to promote in rank.
Camouflage (greens) is used to hide among the trees in the forest.
Green Belt
“The pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength.”
The student’s technique is developing power. The components of the basic techniques are beginning to work in unison.
As the pine tree develops, it sprouts green pine needles.
Purple Belt
“Coming to the mountain. The tree is in the mid-growth and now the path becomes steep.”
The student has crossed over into a higher level of Songahm Taekwondo. The techniques, poom-sae (forms), and level of gyeo-roo-gi (sparring) becomes more difficult, creating a “mountain” that must be overcome.
Mountains are often depicted as being purple.
Blue Belt
“The tree reaches for the sky toward new heights.”
Having passed the mid-way point, the student focuses his/her energy upward toward black belt.
The sky appears as blue.
Brown Belt
“The tree is firmly rooted in the earth.”
At this point the student has mastered the basics and developed deep roots in Taekwondo.
Brown is known as an earthy color, such as dirt.
Red Belt
“The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been accomplished.”
The first day (the period of time from white belt to red belt) of growth is coming to an end. The physical skill has been developed but lacks control; therefore, physical and mental discipline must now be achieved.
Variations of red are found among the many colors of the sunset.
Red/Black Belt
“The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the darkness.”
The previous day has ended, giving way to a new dawn. The student must begin a new phase of training; that of being a black belt.
The red is the sun (in a sunrise) as it breaks through the black of night.
Black Belt
“The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness… it must now ‘plant seeds for the future.’”
The color black is created when all the colors of the light spectrum have been absorbed into an object. That object has “taken control” of the colors and retained them. If one color was to “escape”, the object would no longer be black but would appear as that color. The student has mastered the nine geup (grades) of Taekwondo. He/she has “absorbed” all the knowledge of the color ranks and overcome or “mastered” that level or training.
The colors of the spectrum are bound together and are not reflected off an object, resulting in the absence of color which we call black.
How Long Does it Take to Earn a Black Belt in Taekwondo?
The time it takes from white belt (beginner) to Black Belt (expert) will vary greatly depending on many factors.
These factors include:
- the number hours in daily class
- the number of days per week attending training
- the frequency in which a student is corrected by a competent Instructor
- the amount of time practicing outside of class
- the quality of Instruction and the quality of daily practice at home
In Taekwondo, it is likely that a dedicated student will be eligible to test for a 1st Degree Black Belt after 3 to 5 years.
Under the WTF belt ranking order, the ‘Cho Dan’ or 1st Dan black belt level requires 1-2 years of training time before being eligible for this first level black belt.
